Since Thursdays have been dupped ‘Throwback Thursday’; go back to the first time you ventured into the once taboo sexual act, known as oral sex.

How awkward you were because you were not clued up as to what to do. Well here are some bite size facts (see what I did there) that may have escaped your knowledge.

The Older, the Better
Men give as much oral sex as they receive, a shocker; right? Well, according to a 2010 study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine; only 55% of men between the of ages of 20-24 would admit to giving oral sex, compared to the 75% of women who admitted to giving oral sex.

Here is the shocker- 69% of men who fall in the 30-39 age groups admitted to giving women oral sex, whilst only 59% of women admitted to giving men oral sex. If it’s still not clear, the more you age, the more likely you are to return the favour. Look at you, suddenly wishing you could be a tad bit older.

Say Goodbye to Preeclampsia Worries
This one is for all the guys who have partners that are pregnant, not only will you benefit but your partner and baby’s health will too. Pregnant women, who partake in oral sex with their male counterpart, can lower the risk of preeclampsia.

According to Medical Daily, “A 2000 study published in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology found that there is a strong correlation between a diminished incidence of preeclampsia and the frequency at which a woman practices oral sex.If a woman had relatively little prior exposure to the father’s semen, she would have a higher risk of developing the condition compared to if she performed oral sex and swallowed his semen.”

Preeclampsia is associated with high-blood pressure, protein found in the urine and swelling of hands and knees.

Ever Thought of Swallowing Sperm?
Cue the chorus of women saying “gross”, well according to a paper written in 2012 by psychologist, Gordon Gallup, women who suffer from morning sickness during pregnancies should open up and swallow their partner’s semen to cure their bouts of morning sickness. Gallup, says –

“The woman’s body will first reject the father’s semen upon ingestion as an infection and then react to it by vomiting.” It will ease the bouts of morning sickness, as your partners body will build up a tolerance to it.

Semen Can Chase Away the Black Dog
According to Medical Daily, semen contains mood altering chemicals that can uplift your mood, increase the affectionate hormones and chase away depression; a 2012 study found that semen could contain antidepressant effects that could decrease depression in women who engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse.

Oral Sex Can Cause Cancer

Who would have thought; it can lead to cancer if STIs are left untreated- cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, and anus. Medical Daily says that,- “a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found the proportion of cancers associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) rose from 16 percent to 72 percent from the late 1980s to the early 2000s, particularly among Caucasian middle-age men”.

Oral Sex Calls for Protection
No, it is not a typo; you should not be having unprotected sex. You probably think that there is no time for that, when your partner is willing. Well, you can contract STDs through oral sex-gonorrhea, syphilis; herpes can all be passed through oral sex. However, “According to Planned Parenthood, the human immunodeficiency virus is less likely to be transmitted through this.”

So the next time you are about to indulge in oral sex, make sure you use protection, with the help of these ‘lil facts you should be good to go!